Memories Fade
by Uncle Charlie
Summary: A town is suffering from mass amnesia and Sapphire and Steel are sent to make sense of it. However when Sapphire becomes afflicted, it's up to Steel and Lead to save her. Written for Element Flash - October prompt - pumpkin carving.


It shuffled forward, shoulders bent as if carrying an impossible burden as opposed to a simple carved pumpkin it carried in its talons. The swaying of its head seemed random, but as a bat used sonar to locate its next meal, it was looking and searching for what it needed. It broke free of the pack and headed for town. They were the Keepers and they were on a mission.

A lone figure came stumbling along the rough dirt road, laughing and singing to the moon. It rumbled deep in what passed for its throat and lurched on.

The man staggered and at first didn't see his company. Yet finally the image seeped through his alcohol-clogged head.

"What the hell are you playing at, _amigo_?" He laughed as he swaying in place. "You are as drunk as I am."

The figure merely held up the jack-o'-lantern and the man started to convulse. He collapsed to the ground and the figure continued on. A moment later, the man sat up and looked around him, confused.

"Where am I?"

S&S&S&S&S

He was mending a fence just at sunset, his last chore for the day, and happened to glance up at the sound of feet scuffing through the thick blanket of leaves. The figure was skeletal thin and moved as if entranced. It carried a glowing pumpkin and the man frowned. Halloween was still a week away.

"Little early for trick or treats, isn't it?"

The figure held up the jack-o-lantern and his mind went blank. He dropped his tools and fell to his knees. He closed his eyes against the emptiness that enveloped him. Then started to moan when opening them didn't chase the emptiness away. The figured pointed and he nodded.

S&S&S&S&S

She looked up at the noise at her door, frowning. Opening it, she smiled at her husband of a few weeks. "What's wrong, silly? Did you forget your key again? Come and give me a kiss?"

Instead of answering her, he looked at her blankly. "Who are you? Where am I?"

"Who? Well, obviously the honeymoon is over." She started to laugh, then it died in her throat. "You're scaring me, Billy. What happened?"

He gestured to the figure that abruptly appeared from behind him. She found herself nose-to-flaming nose of the gourd. And she remembered nothing else.

S&S&S&S&S

Sapphire picked her way carefully through the ruts cut into the earth. Perhaps the butter soft leather boots weren't the best for this excursion, but she loved the way they felt and looked on her feet.

 _There is something to be said for sensible footwear._ Then Steel tripped and Sapphire hid her smile as he glared at the offensive clod of dirt.

 _There are times when fashion outweighs practicality._ The road smoothed out and she picked up the pace. All around them, the trees had put on their seasonal best, as if in preparation for her. Sapphire smiled at the thought. She should bring their small daughter, Astra, down to see this. The girl would be captivated. However, the breeze was cool and sharp, promising unpleasantness. Perhaps not.

Steel's voice jarred her from her daydreams. "Tell me about this place, Sapphire." He didn't care about the trees, the breeze or anything else except the mission.

"New Braswell is a small town, population 327, and apparently the entire town has been struck with selective amnesia." She paused, her eyes glowing blue as she accessed data. "The first case was report two weeks ago and it has reached epidemic proportion. Nearly everyone in town has been effected."

"Selective amnesia? Why do you use that term?"

"Only parts of their memories seem to be missing – the more recent events." Sapphire bent to pick up a leaf and regard it curiously. "Imagine what it must be like to suddenly not know where you are or why you are there."

"That rather sounds like every mission we've been on. Is it targeting any one group in particular, say the very old or very young?"

"Negative." Her eyes returned to normal. "There is no rhyme or reason to the attacks and no one is ever hurt, just missing memories."

"Then why call us? Surely this would be a job better suited for human physicians."

"What are memories, if not snapshots of time, Steel? Recent events would be the freshest memories and would have the most time involved in them because they haven't faded from thought. I suspect that is the key, although why or how is beyond me at the moment. I simply -"

"What is that?" Steel held up his hand.

Sapphire followed Steel's point. A figure was standing at the crest of a hill and seemed to be staring at them. It took a lumbering step and then another as it gained momentum. Instinctively, Steel stepped in front of Sapphire, shielding her. Then Sapphire laughed and darted around Steel to open her arms. In moment later, Lead had scooped her up and was giving her a bear hug as he twirled her around.

"Lead! It has been forever!" She hugged him as he lowered her to the ground. Lead towered over her, but was as soft and sweet as taffy in her hands.

"I agree and how is my goddaughter?" He slapped his hands together and regarded Steel fondly.

"Astra is growing like a weed, I believe is the term," Sapphire said, brushing her hair from her face.

"Just try it," Steel warned as Lead held open his arms to the agent and Lead laughed again.

"Very well, Steel. Just consider yourself well hugged."

"I'd rather not. Can we just get on with this?"

"You're in a hurry. Why?"

"No idea, but there's a sense of urgency about this."

"It's delightful to see you, Lead, but why are you here?" Sapphire laughed at her partner's sour countenance as she started to walk again. "Do be careful, the road is badly rutted."

"No idea. I finished up on my last assignment and They told me you might need my kind of assistance, so here I am."

"Wonderful…" Steel trailed off. "What is that and what is it carrying?"

Both Lead and Sapphire turned and noticed the thin figure in the field. It swayed slightly in the gathering breeze.

Sapphire squinted. "I believe it's a scarecrow. Farmers use them to keep wildlife from their crops."

"Not that. What is it holding?"

"That would be a jack-o'-lantern," Lead and Sapphire both answered and Lead laughed. Everything made Lead laugh.

"Explain," Steel demanded, eyes narrow, as if annoyed that they both obviously knew something he didn't.

"It is the tradition of carving a face into a pumpkin, a member of the gourd family. You then place a lit candle inside."

"That's what always puzzled me. Why?" Lead asked. "Seems like a waste of good food to me."

"I have no idea. To chase away ghosts perhaps? It is an old tradition created back when men feared the dark."

"When did they ever stop?" Steel took the lead as they began to walk down the dirt road. "Even after all this time, I still don't understand humans."

"That's okay because I doubt they understand you, either, little Steel," Lead said. He chuckled at Steel's glare. He was the one Element that could get away with chiding the shorter agent.

They walked until the road branched off into three paths.

"What now?" Lead asked. He looked back over his shoulder and frowned. "That's odd."

"What?" Steel stared down each path as if one would suddenly make itself known as the one to follow.

"That scarecrow fella is gone."

"Probably blew over in the wind." As if on cue, the breezed tossed Steel's hair askew.

"What wind, Steel? This breeze is chilly, but it's not very strong." Lead took a step back towards the field.

"Forward, Lead, not back. There are three of us, so we'll each take a path. Stay in touch with each other and call out if you find anything."

S&S&S&S&S

Sapphire continued down the central path, her attention divided between the scenery and the ruts in the road. Perhaps Steel had been right. She trans-morphed her footwear into sensible flats, especially since Steel couldn't…

 _I told you so. Those boots are highly impractical for such outings._

 _Steel! Don't gloat! It's unbecoming. Besides, I though you liked them._

 _I would never consider it and I do, but not down here._

She started to make a comeback when she quite literally stumbled over something. She flailed her arms, gasping in surprise, as she tried to keep her balance.

 _Sapphire?_

 _I'm fine. It's just…_ She knelt by the form, huddled on the ground, reaching out a hand to its shoulder. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

The figure rolled and thrusted the pumpkin it had been huddling over into her face. She reacted, pulling back and throwing up mental barriers, but it was too late. She felt herself, the essence of what and who she was being sucked away.

Suddenly, she was swirling in among so many others' thoughts. They were plucking at her, love, jog, anger, sorrow and despair. Somehow, they were all trapped in the jack-o-lantern. The memories threatened to suffocate her and in her panic she cried out to Steel again and again.

S&S&S&S&S

Steel reacted suddenly, nearly dropping to his knees as his mental connection with Sapphire was abruptly severely. He gasped and paused to re-group his thoughts. He'd not been alone inside his head since he'd been partnered with Sapphire. It took him a moment to remember how to connect with anyone else.

 _Lead?_

 _Yes?_

 _Something has happened to Sapphire. She suddenly vanished from my head. She stumbled over something and then she went quiet._

 _What?_

 _I don't know, but we need to find her fast. I will meet you at the back at the intersection._

Steel practically ran back to where the roads had branched off from the main one, but wasn't surprised that Lead was waiting for him. The large man was nearly as fond of Sapphire as Steel was and, to be fair, his legs were much longer than Steel's.

"Come on." Steel lead the way down the road, heedless of the branches and undergrowth that grabbed and tore at his clothes. They came into a small clearing and Sapphire was sitting on the ground, looking so sad and lost.

"Sapphire?" Steel was at her side in a breath. He dropped to his knees, reached out and touched her shoulder with a hand that trembled slightly. She looked at him, her eyes large and wide with confusion.

"Who?" There was no sense of recognition in her face.

 _Sapphire?_ Nothing answered him. It wasn't that she was ignoring him and he hurriedly scanned her mind. There was nothing but an empty void.

"It's as if her mind has been wiped clean," he said as Lead join him and Sapphire gasped, turning away in fear.

"It's just me, sweetheart. We've been friends for a long time. Don't you remember me, Sapphire?" She shied away from his hand.

"Don't hurt me," she half whimpered.

A noise drew Steel's attention and he turned. A figure was standing at the edge of the clearing, holding a pumpkin up, but Steel disregarded it. He only had eyes for the creature.

"You did this! What did you do? What are you?"

"We are the Keepers and she is mine." It whispered. "All mine, in here forever! For all time. See?"

But Steel turned away just then. "Lead, I need you now!"

"I'm way ahead of you." He grasped Steel's shoulders as Steel dropped his core to absolute zero.

Steel turned back and grabbed the creature. It howled, writhing in Steel's grip as it dropped the pumpkin. It stiffened and grew very cold and still Steel held it until there was nothing left unfrozen inside the creature.

The jack-o'-lantern dropped from the Keeper's and rolled away, coming to rest face down. Steel released the creature and nodded. Because of Lead's insulation, he was able to come back almost instantly from the effort. Without it, Steel would have been suffering from very much the same fate as the creature.

Lead released Steel's shoulders, shaking the life back into his hands. "You are one cold hearted man," he murmured, rubbing his palms together.

"You have no idea." Steel lashed out, striking the creature and it shattered into a million pieces. Then he stormed over to the pumpkin and knelt beside it. Touching it, he could hear Sapphire's voice, muddled among many. "Sapphire, what do I do?" The image of a smashed pumpkin cut across his mind with such force that he staggered back.

"What's wrong?"

"Sapphire and apparently many others are trapped inside. She wants me to destroy it."

"What about Sapphire? It might kill her."

"And it might not. She is apparently willing to take the chance."

"What are you going to do?" Lead asked as Steel grabbed the pumpkin.

"My own version of pumpkin carving." He raised the pumpkin and then slammed it to the ground. It smashed into piece and an explosion of light enveloped them.

Sapphire screamed and collapsed onto the ground, curling up into a tight ball.

"What have you done?" Lead shouted, running to the woman and gathering her in his arms. "Sapphire." He brushed her blonde hair carefully. "Speak to me, sweetheart."

"Lead?" The voice was weak, but it was enough to make Steel smile. "Where is Steel?"

"I'm here, Sapphire." He exchanged places with Lead and she embraced him.

"It was so frightening." She nestled her head into the crock of his neck. "I couldn't remember anything, not you, not Astra, not even me. It had me."

"What did it want?"

"The energy generated from all those memories. Energy, not time."

"This time." Steel pushed her away and studied her. "He spoke of others."

"There is a band of them wandering through the woods, stealing the memories of anyone they meet."

"At least we know how to fight them now." Lead regarded the pile of shards. He scattered them with great sweeps of his feet. "Let's go clean house. I think there are several people who are ready to go home. "


End file.
